Dardanelle has once again been named a “Tree City” by the Arbor Day Foundation, and also boasts seven trees of distinction listed on the Arkansas Champion Tree list, one of which is a national record holder.

Tree City USA is a tree planting and tree care program sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation for cities and towns in the United States. Dardanelle is one of 60 tree cities in Arkansas.

In honor of Dardanelle’s dedication to preserving the past and recognizing the importance of trees, Mayor Carolyn McGee declared April 13 as Dardanelle Arbor Day.

“We’re just proud of our trees,” McGee said. “Three of our trees have markers and the others should have markers soon.”

The Arkansas Champion Tree List is maintained by the Arkansas Forestry Commission and recognizes trees in the state that are the largest of the species, by using the American Forests “bigness index.”

The Arkansas Forestry Commission measures the trees according to girth, height and crown (the size of the shade area if the sun is directly above) to designate points based on a formula. Dardanelle has seven trees on the list and one national record holder — The Common Persimmon located at the north end of Front Street.

The Arkansas Forestry Commission has worked closely with Dardanelle’s EAST lab students and facilitator Sandy Williams for the last several years, documenting the growth of the trees of distinction and sharing demographic information with the public through brochures.

“Last year students began taking seasonal pictures of the trees of distinction they are designing for publication,” Williams said. “The students will have the book ready for publication in May and then the city is publishing it.”

Williams said the book will include pictures of each tree during the different seasons, will include demographic information and location.

“The students have really enjoyed learning about the trees and the continued monitoring,” Williams said. “They work closely with Wayne (Shewmake) and members of the Forestry Commission. They are learning not just the value of trees and how important they are, but also about the importance of preserving our heritage.”

In honor of McGee’s proclamation, Dardanelle Elementary School celebrate Arbor Day on April 13 with a contest and tree planting ceremony.

“We’ve planted trees each year in honor of Arbor Day for the last several years,” Dardanelle Elementary Principal Terry Laughinghouse said. “Wayne always does a great job making sure the day is not only educational, but fun. The EAST Lab students pass out trees (saplings) to the students and everyone really has a great time while learning not just about the importance of trees, but about our very own famous trees.”

Laughinghouse said in order to include more participation, a special poster and essay contest was added this year. Students in third-sixth grades can choose to write about either Arbor Day or design a poster. Prizes will be awarded in each grade for both categories.

“The kids really enjoy the celebration,” Laughinghouse said. “But it’s difficult to try to include that many students in the tree planting ceremony. The contest will allow the students to participate in the event and then the winners will help plant the tree.”

Chuck Primeaux with the Arkansas Forestry Commission will address the students about the importance of trees and the special role they play in our everyday lives. Arkansas Wildlife Federation President Wayne Shewmake will assist the EAST Lab students in passing out saplings, assist with the tree planting ceremony and discuss the Tree City USA program and Dardanelles trees of distinction.

“We always try to have a variety saplings for the children to take home,” Shewmake said. “We want native trees that provide a food source for wildlife. In the past we’ve planted Redbud, Mulberry and Oak trees at the school. Bees and butterflies like the Redbud trees and the Mulberry and Oak provide a food source .”

Perhaps the most famous tree in Dardanelle is the Council Oak Tree.

According to Shewmake, the Council Oak Tree is where acting Gov. Robert Crittenden and BlackFox of the Cherokee Nation signed a treaty, brining peace between the white man and the Osage, Cherokee and Quapaw tribes.

“The Council Oak is possibly the oldest tree on the list,” Shewmake said. “That is where the white man and Indian met and the land south of the river was signed over to the white man in the 1880s.”

Trees of distinction and historic places walking tours are scheduled for April 27 beginning at the Arkansas Regional River Valley Regional Library System.

“This year we decided to include a later time, hoping some of the students will be able to attend,” program director Wendy Wells said. “We had about 15 participants in each group last year. It was a fun and educational time. It’s a great way to learn more about the rich history of Dardanelle.”